Month: November 2016

On Thursday, 15th November, we were at Agro-Ignite, one of the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) 2016 conferences, organised by Enterprise Development Centre (EDC), Lagos.

The need for Agro-Ignite was borne by the current economic downturn in Nigeria, particularly with the fall in the oil sector. The organisers thought the event was timely as agriculture is being repositioned as a key driver of the economy in Nigeria. The conference was targeted at young entrepreneurs engaged in agriculture business (agribusiness) and those contemplating getting into one agriculture business or the other.

Panels at the conference discussed the opportunities in Nigeria in the agribusiness chain from production through transportation to markets and factories for sales and processing, to the point it gets to the table or hands of the final consumer. The challenges of engaging in agribusiness were discussed. Ideas on ways to overcome the challenges were shared.

Also discussed was access to funds, the funding institutions like Bank of Industry (BOI), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and commercial banks, and the types of funding available to agriculture entrepreneurs in Nigeria. Representatives from Diamond Bank Plc. and BOI were around to share good information on funding at Agro-Ignite.

Farmers, food processors and marketers from existing agribusinesses in Nigeria shared their experiences during the panel discussions.

Divine Fish Farm benefited from the information shared at the event and from networking with other stakeholders in the Nigeria agriculture industry. Divine Fish Farm grows catfish, processes it, markets it and sells it to customers in Lagos and Ogun States in Nigeria and in the United States of America (USA).

The sponsors include British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) and Diamond Bank Plc. The host was Enterprise Development Centre, Pan-Atlantic University, KM 22, Lekki-Epe Expressway, Ajah, Lagos. The event held at Four Points by Sheraton, Victoria Island, Lagos.

We can deliver 1 kilogramme of smoked and dried catfish to your doorstep anywhere in Lagos, Nigeria for =N=5,000 (five thousand naira).

1 kg pack of our processed catfish contains 12 – 15 pieces of catfish. Our catfish is properly dried that if you store it in a dry covered container it will remain in good condition even after 6 weeks.

Do you grow catfish in Lagos, Ogun or any other state in Nigeria? Do you need a reliable source for your catfish fingerlings and juveniles? We can help you.

Fingerlings are catfish that are 2 – 4 weeks old while juveniles are 5 – 8 weeks old.

The commonly grown catfish species in Nigeria are: Clarias gariepinus, Heterobranchus bidorsalis, and hybrid of Clarias and Heterobranchus (Heteroclarias).

Clarias gariepinus

Clarias species grow quickly and is good specie to stock if you want to sell of your fish within 4 months as melange. If you take good care of them they should weigh 0.6 – 0.7 kilogrammes (kg) average within 4 months. Clarias can tolerate being stocked relatively crowded in concrete ponds. You have to sort every 3 – 4 weeks though and keep fish of similar size in the same pond. Clarias can grow to 2 kg in 8 months if you take good care of them. If you are going to stock catfish this long then you should have the facilities to space the fish out as they grow. You must also have the market that is willing to pay premium price for catfish that weigh 1 – 2 kg.

Hetero branchus bidorsalis

Hetero branchus bidorsalis can grow up to 10 kilogrammes. They like to be spaced out and do better in earthen ponds. Hetero branchus is the recommended species if you have customers that demand big fish and are willing to pay the right price for it.

Hybrid of Clarias and Heterobranchus (Heterclarias)

Heteroclarias combines the good features of the two catfish species named above namely: fast growth and big size. When you get it right with the sourcing, feeding and growing conditions this species can grow to over 1.2 kg in 6 months. This size of fish commands premium price in the market. There must be reliable demand if you must stock heteroclarias.

One of the big problems of catfish farming in Nigeria is availability of reliable catfish fingerlings and juveniles when the farmer wants to stock. This lack of availability sometimes forces the farmer to stock the first species available to him or her when he or she is ready to stock his or her farm.

The fingerlings and juveniles we source for you are hatched in Ogun State, Nigeria and we can deliver to you in Lagos, Abuja, Ogun, Rivers, Delta and most other states in Nigeria based on agreement.

It is important that you give us early notice of 3 weeks when you want us to supply you with catfish fingerlings and juveniles in Nigeria.